The present disclosure relates to a communication environment, and more particularly, to providing improved apparatus and methods of managing licensed items.
Although the described aspects relate generally to communication devices, an example use case with mobile devices illustrates problems with current licensing models. Mobile operators or mobile device carriers play a major part in the telecommunication industry today. Initially, such mobile operators concentrated their efforts on generating revenue by increasing their subscriber base. However, it will be appreciated that in several countries the scope for increasing the subscriber base has now become very limited, as the market has reached close to saturation point. As a result, the mobile operators have been branching into providing value added services to subscribers, in order to increase their revenue.
One means of generating increased revenue is through the sales of premium content and/or services to users, such as ringtones, wallpaper, games, etc. These items may be provided by the mobile operators themselves, or by business entities who may operate in collaboration with the mobile operators to provide such items. In some aspects, for example, these content and/or service items may be available for download to a user's communication device, such as a mobile device, upon payment of a fee.
Many benefits such as maximizing the potential earnings for sales may accrue upon recommending and distributing to users content and/or services that are of interest to the users. The user can have a better experience using the user's communication device in light of these content and/or services. Licensing of such content and/or services can provide an incentive for providers to create such offerings.
For example, in one aspect, developers and publishers in some instances distribute content and/or services in the form of applications that in turn can serve as a means for making additional sales. For example, a base application can include base licensed items, e.g. base content and/or services such as base features of the application, and can modified to further make available subordinate licensable items, e.g. additional content and/or services that provide additional capabilities to the base application. For instance, one or more of the subordinate licensable items may be initially provided with the base application, but may be locked or otherwise made inaccessible. Alternatively, or in addition, one or more of the subordinate licensable items may be subsequently added to the base application (e.g., additions, upgrades or expansions). Conventionally, the application bears the burden for providing a user experience for discovering the subordinate licensable items, for offering to purchase or otherwise transact for the subordinate licensable items, and for enforcing any restrictions on such subordinate licensable items. In some instances, the communication device or a network operator facilitates billing for the subordinate licensable item or for enforcing a license for the application.
However, improvements in acquisition and licensing enforcement of licensable items are desired.